TIF Information Sheet

ED-04-CO-0112 (0012)

Mathematica Policy Research

APPENDIX B
TIF INFORMATION SHEET

Assessing the Effectiveness of Performance-Based
Teacher and Principal Incentive Programs
Impact of
PerformanceBased Pay on
Student
Achievement
and Teacher
Quality

Teacher quality is a critical input to student learning but little is known about how to develop
a strong teacher workforce. Much research has been conducted on strategies to identify,
attract, retain, and develop good teachers, including alternative preparation, certification, and
in-service training and professional development. However, little is known about the
effectiveness of incentive compensation systems that tie teacher or principal pay to student
performance.
In an effort to improve teacher quality through the use of incentive compensation systems,
Congress established the Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) in 2007. Several new TIF awards
were made in 2010 through funds provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
of 2009 (ARRA) and the U.S. Department of Education (ED). These grants support the use
of teacher and principal incentive programs to increase educator effectiveness and student
achievement in high-need schools. The ARRA funds also require that ED conduct a rigorous
evaluation of the TIF grants.

Research
Questions

The primary research question for the evaluation is:


What is the impact of teacher and principal differentiated performance-incentive
pay on student achievement and educator effectiveness, mobility and
recruitment?

Secondary research questions include:


Is a particulary type of differentiated incentive pay model (for example, schoolor teacher-based programs or mixed programs) associated with greater gains in
student achievement?



Are other key program features correlated with student and educator outcomes?

 What are the experiences and challenges districts face in implementing these
programs?
Requirements of
Evaluation
Grantees

By winning an evaluation grant, your district has agreed to comply with requirements
necessary for the study. Some of the requirements are:
 Develop and implement a differentiated performance-based incentive pay
program for teachers and principals. The criteria for receiving an incentive must
include gains in student academic achievement and classroom evaluation of
teachers conducted multiple times during each school year. The incentives
awarded must be substantial (for example, an average of five percent of annual
salary) and vary based on performance.


Participation of eight or more schools in the evaluation with students in grades
tested annually and a minimum of two schools per school level (i.e., elementary
or middle schools).



Schools in the evaluation agree to enter a lottery to determine which schools will
be chosen to implement the district’s differentiated performance-based incentive
programs portion of their performance-based compensation system (PBCS).



Schools not chosen to implement a differentiated performance-based incentive
portion of the PBCS agree to refrain from implementing one throughout the
duration of the TIF grant. However, districts will implement all other
components of their PBCS, such as extra pay for mentoring or other leadership
activities, throughout all schools in the district.

Benefits of
Participation

As an evaluation grantee, your district will receive numerous benefits, including:
 At least $1 million of additional funding. These funds can be used to support
activities such as developing effectiveness measures, professional development,
and salaries of academic coaches or teachers in leadership positions.


Individualized technical assistance. Our team of experts will work proactively
with your district to help develop and implement your TIF program that is
consistent with the requirements and goals of the grant. Our team will also help
your district develop the infrastructure and expertise needed to sustain your
program after the completion of the grant period.



District-based findings. Your district will be eligible to receive district sitebased implementation and impact evaluation results from the national evaluation.
Contribute to our body of knowledge for “WhatWorks.” Your district will be
participating in an important national evaluation that will inform educators and
the public about teacher and principal compensation systems and the impact on
student achievement in high-need schools.



To review the study requirements and benefits in more detail, a member of our team will
contact the appropriate district liason and meet with key stakeholders. These initial phone
calls and in-person meetings will take less than 7 hours of district staffs’ time and less
than 3 hours for principals of study schools. NOTE: cooperation with these activities is a
condition of your grant. 1
Data Collection
Activities and
Timeline

To answer the key study questions, we will collect the following data:
 Grantee Survey. Grantees will be asked to complete one hour surveys in the fall of
2011, 2012, and 2014 in order to learn about grantees’ experiences and challenges.
 Educator Surveys. Teachers and principals will be asked to complete 30 minute
web-based surveys in the spring of 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. These surveys will
provide information on educators’ understanding and perceptions of the TIF
program, as well as mobility.
 Grantee Interviews. We will conduct one hour phone interviews with TIF grant
managers or study liaisons in summer 2012, 2013, and 2015 to better understand
each grantee’s program features, implementation strategies, and challenges.
 Educator Records. In order to track educator mobility and retention, we will collect
district records on teachers four times over the course of the study: in fall of 2012,
2013, 2014, and 2015.
 Student Records. To estimate student achievement gains, we will collect district
data on student achievement scores and demographic data twice; in the summer/fall
2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015.
These data collection activities require no district or school expenditures, do not entail
significant burden, and are a requirement of your grant.

Study Team

1

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has selected Mathematica Policy Research and its
partners, the Peabody College of Education at Vanderbilt University and Chesapeake
Research Associates, to conduct a national evaluation of teacher and principal performancebased compensations systems. Mathematica, a nonpartisan policy research firm, conducts
research and surveys for federal and state governments, foundations, and private sector
clients. Mathematica’s studies of education initiatives and other programs have been used to
inform national policymakers for more than 35 years.

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education: Overview Information; Teacher Incentive Fund: Notice Inviting Applications for
New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010, 75 FR 28740-28749 (May 21, 2010).

To Find Out
More

To learn more and arrange for a time to speak with a member of the study team, please go to
http://www.mathematica-mpr.com/education/tifgrantee.asp, or contact the project director,
Dr. Jill Constantine, 609 716-4391, [email protected]

Confidentiality

Responses to the data collection will be used only for research purposes. The reports prepared
for the study will summarize findings across the sample and will not associate responses with
a specific district, school, or individual. We will not provide information that identifies you or
your district to anyone outside the study team, except as required by law.
Mathematica and its partners follow the confidentiality and data protection requirements of
IES (The Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, Title I, Part E, Section 183). We will
protect the confidentiality of all information collected for the study and will use it for research
purposes only. No information that identifies any study participant will be released.
Information from participating institutions and respondents will be presented at aggregate
levels in reports. No individually identifiable information will be maintained by the study
team. All institution-level identifiable information will be kept in secured locations and
identifiers will be destroyed as soon as they are no longer required.

Paperwork
Burden
Statement

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a
collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The
valid OMB control number for this information collection is xxxx-xxxx. The approximate
time required to discuss your participation in the evaluation is estimated to average 1.67 hours
per response for superintendents/grant managers, 2 hours/other district staff, and 1.5 hours per
response for principals of study schools. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy
of the time estimates or suggestions for improving this form, please write to: U.S.
Department of Education, Washington, D.C. 20202-4651. If you have comments or concerns
regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, write directly to: [insert
program sponsor/office], U.S. Department of Education, 600 Independence Avenue, S.W.,
[insert building/room number], Washington, D.C. 20202-xxxx.